Longinus
by sherazard
Summary: [Warning: Language, OOC, sexual situations, violence] (lo and behold, an update. ) The Second Child witnesses first-hand the chilling power that lives within the Third Child; a battle of the past and plans of the future are revealed. (minor changes)
1. Act 0 Ragnarok

**Disclaimer: _Shin Seiki Evangelion_ is the property of GAINAX, ADV Films, Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. No copyright infringement is intended; this is a fictional work made for the sole purpose of entertainment. This is a non-profit work. Distribution and archival is free with full credit to the author and a clear display of this disclaimer. **

In old Norse mythology, the day of the Ragnarok was said to fall upon the world. Led by Loki, the God of the Underworld, this day is known as Gotterdammerung. It means "Doom of the Gods". The world will tremble with earthquakes and the wolf Fenrir will rise from his imprisonment, breaking his chains. The giants will war against the Gods and they will fall. Loki will fall to his mortal enemy Heimdall, who will also fall to the traitorous Loki's spear.

After the fall of Loki, the entire world began anew. The world began with a clean slate after millions of years of repair to itself. This is the beginning of mankind. However, the legends are not forgotten, still whispered and narrated from generation to generation. However, the legends faded away and became warped, distorted and nothing like the glorious tales they were.

Loki was angry. Furious. He wanted revenge.

And thus begins the tale of the Longinus.

Longinus

**Act 0 - Ragnarok**

_I am Loki. This day shall be mine._

In the world, everything was strife. As far as the eye could see, there was only destruction and battle. Long ago their world had been plunged into strife; families fought others, fought with each other. Morality had disappeared, there was only one conscious thought left. Destroy.

The battle cries echoed throughout their barren lands, the clashes of metal and malice reverberating from Vigrid. People screamed as the fires scorched over the grass and trees, nothing was sacred. Only the thirst for killing and destruction drove them, the Gods and the Giants.

Plunged in darkness, they could do nothing but watch as they fought and killed, knowing nothing but the savage, barbaric ways of the old. To them nothing else mattered, not even they, their subjects. All was discarded as the Gods and the Giants waged war upon each other, so hell bent on killing and destroying. With the sun and the moon gone and dead, they were all immersed in the darkness, left with nothing but the dubious duty of waiting for their death to come.

On the last battlefield in Vigrid, a ferocious skirmish raged and howled. Rage and fury fueled the Giants and the Gods, both unwilling to give quarter. To them, there was nothing left but to destroy. The Giants were too dangerous to walk the lands alongside the mortals, but what about the Gods? What right did the Gods have to banish them? Loki had promised vengeance for the Giants for being imprisoned and enslaved like they had been. _This_ was their revenge. 

Ragnarok.

He screamed a battle cry, thrusting his great spear forward. Heimdall was his enemy, he would make sure that Heimdall would not live. His brother Surts surged forward, aiming for a quick kill of the swordless Freya. Jormungand screamed in fury as he writhed and hissed, the dangerous venom killing anyone who dared come close.

Fenrir's great jaws snapped at his enemies, rising from his long imprisonment. The manacles that had once bound the large wolf were shattered, leaving him free to do as he please. Rage and long-contained thirst for revenge burned in the great animal's eyes, aimed at the Father, Odin.

"Loki, you traitorous bastard!" he screamed.

Loki cared not of Heimdall's less-than-enthusiastic opinions of him. His eyes narrowed as he charged ahead, holding his spear in an iron grip. Heimdall came at him with his dangerous lance, the weapon that had slain thousands. The two weapons met with a shriek, sparks of blue and black erupting as the magic spewed forth from their essence. They spun out and attacked once more, more blue and black criss-crossing across the air between them.

Out in the field, Fenrir circled and lunged at Odin, the same man who had announced his imprisonment. How he had waited for this moment! His father Loki had promised him the death of Odin and his father was true to his word. Unlike this miserable fool who called himself a God. 

"You're trapped Odin! There's nothing else for you to do but **_DIE_!!!!**" Fenrir screamed.

Time slowed down as Fenrir and Loki lunged at their opponents. The great powerful jaws of the dark wolf Fenrir; gaping and gleaming with rows of diamond-edged teeth tore into the flesh of the Father God Odin. Loki's long, flame-red, double-pronged spear impaled itself into Heimdall's torso, a choked cry ripping itself from the dying God. However, it was not only Heimdall that was injured. The blue lance embedded itself in Loki's chest, but did not bring down the Giant. But he knew...he knew that Loki would die with him. But how... how had he gotten that final victory?! 

Heimdall could only gasp feebly, "How?" 

Loki looked down at his dying enemy and smiled darkly. "It is just as I said, Heimdall. Longinus kills whom it wants at _my_ will, and none other."

"..._damn you_...**_Loki_**..."

* * *

_Just as it was written, the day of Ragnarok came and went. Loki fell to Heimdall's desperate attack, just as Heimdall fell to Loki's Longinus, driven by the Giant's will. Odin fell to Fenrir's wrath, who fell to Odin's son Vidar. Jormungand is destroyed by Thor, the God of Thunder, but Thor in return is slowly killed by Jormungand's deadly poison. The world was destroyed and it did not rise again for some time._

_However, these great beings did not die. Their physical projections were destroyed, returning to the void. However, Loki did not return to the nothingness like the others. He was cursed to be reborn again and again, be a servant of Destiny and then be destroyed, either by himself or by an outside source. Loki would never experience happiness or joy ever again._

_This was called the Curse of Longinus._

_It bore no relation to the Giant Loki himself; for it was the Spear of Longinus that gave Loki the power to destroy. Longinus had used Loki as a puppet, manipulating him until his usefulness became void. Loki was left with nothing but pain and suffering, becoming a lackey of Fate._

_Millenia passed, the world recuperated. Until one day, the first beings awoke to a brand new world. Trees, plants, grass, animals...everything had finally returned. Evolution progressed and the first human beings walked the Earth, the descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir._

_These details were lost as time progressed...Lif and Lifthrasir were forever erased from the records of History and they became new beings. The beings of a pure, omniscient God._

_Adam._

_But Loki still remained. Fate had deigned him as the one who would start the motions to the last scenario. He was reincarnated as Lillith and became the first wife of Adam. However, nothing was as it should be. Lillith, bearing Loki's spirit and soul, refused to subject to Adam and then fled from Eden. Then Eve was created and became the wife to Adam. Both Eve and Lillith bore the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel._

_Thus begins the records of the Old Testament._

_Time passed...and Loki continued his endless cycle of birth and death, feeling no joy. The last reincarnation in which he found the meaning of his life was his incarnation as Jesus, the High Messenger of God. The crucification on the cross, and then he felt it. That vile, pervading presence._

**_Longinus._**

_Loki did not rise again for some time._

_Then, in the year 2000, Loki rose once more, this time for the last time to implement Fate's final scenario._

_Loki was born to the world on June 6th, 2000 as Ikari Shinji._

* * *

End Act 0

Author's Notes:  
A result of boredom, writer's block, a completely unrelated song and watching the first 2 episodes of **Shin Seiki Evangelion**, this fanfic was born. I tossed in some Norse mythology and my own, insane ideas to write this. So don't hurt me, or sue me, because I'm only 16 and I don't have any money. I'm broke!

Comments are welcome, criticisms I'll take. I don't care if you don't like the fic, it's obvious that you took the time to read it if you're reading this. Thanks. :) Whatever you have to say, say it. I don't mind. I'll even reply if you want me to. Constructive criticism is desperately needed. I'll love you if you do!!! ^^

On to Act I...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	2. Act I Cursed

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_.**

Loki's final reincarnation, and the final steps of Fate's last scenario has been taken. As the pieces fall into place, an unforseen variable steps into the equation and forever changes the plans of Fate.

An unknown named Ayanami Rei.

Longinus

**Act I - Cursed**

_What is happiness? Happiness is the end of suffering._

He was stuck in a moment of indecision. He held a young girl in his arms, injured and bleeding. Her short gasps of pain echoed and reverberated painfully in his ears. He did not want to inflict pain on anyone. And for his bastard father to actually...

"I'll do it! I'll pilot it," he declared softly.

A flurry of activity began as he placed the neural connectors onto his head and climbed into what they called an "entry plug". All of the technical babble went over his head as he tried to concentrate on not running away screaming bloody murder.

_I mustn't run away I mustn't run away I mustn't run away..._

The angel known as **Sachiel**'s final cross flare attack hit Shinji's Unit 01 at point-blank range.

However, confusion reigned in Sachiel as the pale copy of Adam came forth, unharmed and very much enraged. He sensed a new presence within the copy...it was not a normal field. This AT field was nothing like the others.

But Sachiel had no time to dwell on such thoughts as Unit 01 attacked, a vicious, barbaric fight ensued. The dark nothingness in which he dwelt came upon him; Sachiel knew no more as his physical project ceased to exist.

Ikari Shinji, having been the victor of his first battle, promptly fainted in his entry plug.

And Ayanami Rei watched with curiosity at her place at the Commander's side, wondering what it was about that boy that made her want to...

...scream in horror.

* * *

At her hospital room much later that night, Ayanami Rei stared impassively at the ceiling above her. It was a dull white colour, a colour tiresome and hateful as the crimson red of her eyes.

All she could think about presently was _him_. The boy who had been called by the Commander, the Commander's son Ikari Shinji. He was nothing but a mere boy her age, a belligerant boy who disobeyed his superior's orders. Or rather his father's request. She wondered why.

How come she had never heard of Commander Ikari's son? Why hadn't he said anything of him? Were they not related? Were they not family? Wasn't Ikari the Commander's son and the Commander Ikari's father? She had read that family members showed affection to each other. They protected and cared for another. Why was that not true with the Commander and his son?

She remembered his eyes. Those deep Prussian eyes. Every time she looked into them, she wanted to scream. Scream and scream and scream. Untold horrors lurked in them, a lifetime full of pain, suffering and anger. Perhaps even more than one lifetime, perhaps not. In her mind, logic ruled all. Logically speaking, Ikari was simply a boy who had been mistreated and abandoned by society. Such philosophical, nonsensical thoughts were unnecessary.

So why was she thinking of them then?

Her red eyes shifted over to the door, the door opened and in walked the Commander. He was dressed as he normally was, save that his eyes were not hidden behind the bifocals he usually wore. "Rei."

"Commander," she voiced quietly.

What made it seem even more..._weird_, for the lack of a better term, was that he smiled at her. A bare ghost of a smile, but a smile nonetheless.

She had never seen nor heard of the Commander smiling. Ever.

A feeling of something akin to joy spread through her as she responded to him with a small smile of her own. They were never much for words. Minute actions spoke volumes which words could never convey. They were meaningless, just sounds strung together in a pretense of coherency. If words were supposed to be coherent, then what was the use for different languages such as Japanese, English, French, Latin, Greek and more? What purpose did they serve?

What purpose did Ikari serve?

"How are you Rei?" the Commander asked.

"I am well as I can be," Rei answered monotonously.

"Tomorrow," he stated softly.

"Yes sir," she answered.

He left.

She was alone in the room once more, her thoughts as company. But her thoughts kept on straying to the new pilot, the one known as Ikari Shinji. Why would he pilot when it was obvious that he did not want to? Was her state of physical weakness the affecting factor in his decision? **_What was she to him?_**

Questions plagued her endlessly and Ayanami Rei spent the night trying to decipher them, but nothing could make her ever forget his eyes.

His horribly, **_dead_** eyes.

* * *

Within the void, spirits swirled together, a plethora of colours meshing. Some shades had no names, no words could describe them. They had never been seen by the eyes of a human, a Lillim.

**Sachiel** had failed.

But that did not matter. Soon, **Shamshiel** would take the place of his fallen brother to complete their duty.

A swirl of jade green entered the void and a booming voice could be heard. "**Shamshiel, your time has come.**"

Nothing more was said.

* * *

_"I'm home," he mumbled._

_"Welcome home," she answered cheerfully._

It really made no difference. He was still staring at yet another unfamiliar ceiling. His superior officer, Captain Katsuragi Misato had taken him in, even though he wanted to live on his own. He _wanted_ to be alone, he did not want to be a burden to another. But Misato-san had assured him that he would be no burden.

But he already was.

He had become a burden the moment she had come to collect him. He had refused to pilot, only to reconsider his choice after looking at that injured girl. Then he had been knocked unconscious during the battle, nearly getting all of the people at NERV killed. He truly was useless.

"If I'm so worthless...then why did my father call me?"

Father. The man had not been called _tousan_ for a long time, just as he had not said the word _tousan_ for an equally long time. Having been abandoned at an early age on the doorstep of his teacher, he had grown up with no parental figures to influence his life. But somehow, he had grown up to be a young gentleman. Perhaps it was the lack of an influence that had made him like that.

He decided that it was no longer worth mulling over. He was here, consigned to NERV for only God knows how long. From now on, he would be dancing to his father's tune, jumping when ordered to, killing when ordered to, and dying when ordered to.

A soft click signified the ending of one song and the beginning of the next.

As Track 26 played on Shinji's SDAT player, he found himself reliving his memories of the battle. A battle that he had not fought. The slight throbbing of his eye, the pain in his wrist; a bit more of his soul slipping away silently, like a leaf in the wind as the spray of blood and blinding red-violet light engulfing his senses.

Locked in that moment of absolute terror and morbid fascination, something within Shinji had been awakened. As he watched the Angel known as **Sachiel** die, he had felt a very strong sense of...

...glee.

Satisfaction.

Elation.

_Bloodlust_.

That thrilling, addictive rush of adrenaline, living in the moment of battle. He did not want to say it, but...it was amazing. No, it was fucking **fantastic**. He had power in his hands, the power to destroy and to kill. But no...there was still so much pain involved, the pain of knowing that in the end, he would still be the same worthless, useless Ikari Shinji.

So it all came back full circle to square 1. Why was he here?

That didn't matter, really. He had nowhere else to go.

He yawned and turned onto his side, trying to fall asleep. The strains of the melody rung in his ears.

But nothing could block out the memories of the dying seconds of a beast long dead...

..._Hod_.

* * *

**Amber eyes peered out from Prussian blue as he heard the words of his vessel's keeper.**

"_You did a good job, Shinji-kun. Good night._"

**A dry chuckle escaped his lips. A good job? Oh no, this wasn't over. Not in the least. Fate had decreed him as the soul for this Ikari boy and he would make sure that Ikari would _never_ be a servant of the Fates.**

**"Damn bitches...thinking that they can control me. How foolish they are."**

**He remembered those red eyes...bordering on garnet. And the azure hair, how odd. He could sense nothing about her past, she did not have one. Most people had a past life that they had lived, each life made up a fragment of their souls, adding to the unique personae they became with every reincarnation. But this girl...she was a blank slate, no past, nothing.**

**"So that is why the Fates tremble...an unknown. She is not bound to the Fates..."**

**Mystery surrounded that girl, introvert and quiet, most likely loyal and obedient to a fault. Just like the Ikari boy.**

**"But I _am_ Ikari...and I too am loyal to my duty," he murmured.**

**The last reincarnation he remembered...2015 years ago as the High Messenger of God. Wasn't that just ironic? The former God of Destruction being reborn as the right-hand of their so-called "God". It was an irony he had spent 2015 years laughing about.**

**And these "Angels"...they were not so much Angels. They too, were former Gods that he had fought and killed during that day of Ragnarok. Hod had been his enemy today, unlike he had been all those millenia past. It seemed like Hod had finally been reborn, only to be slayed again.**

**Perhaps he could finally break free from the Curse of Longinus.**

**Longinus...**

**He felt it. That vile presence of the darkest evil. His double-pronged spear that had been the death of Heimdall, and himself. In his mind, he could still hear Longinus' hissing, dry voice laughing as he died. Calling him a fool for daring to try to tame an evil untameable. He wanted revenge for Longinus damning him to a pitiless, merciless fate.**

**But no, he could never defy Longinus. That spear had been a possession of the Gods for a long time, an artifact that would never stray from its Master. He was its Master and always would be. Longinus, as much as it thought he was worthless, could do nothing without his will. It was just a long piece of pretty looking metal without his will.**

**Without _Loki's_ will.**

**He scanned the small room, knowing that this place, this city...the last point of Resurrection would be the death of Ikari Shinji.**

**Loki wondered why he felt so guilty.**

* * *

_"Rei."_

_"Sir."_

_"Monitor the Third."_

_"Yes sir."_

*click*

She sat on the bed, the cellular phone sitting on the drawer. Monitor the Third. The Third Child. Ikari Shinji. Why would he ask her to monitor him? Was that not Captain Katsuragi's job? Ikari would have been living alone in a building not too far from hers had she not intervened and taken custody of him. While she had no compunctions about it, she wanted to see him.

Curiously enough, she _did_ want to see him. There was something about him that the Commander lacked. While she owed the man for everything, she wanted to know what was it about Ikari that made her want to see him. His eyes, while they terrified her to her core, she wanted to look into them.

He was a mystery.

She had felt the angel **Sachiel** fall today. A tingling wave had passed through her body briefly, leaving her bereft of breath and a chill down her spine. Why? How had she felt that? And why did it make her feel...oddly satisfied?

What was satisfaction?

She had never known satisfaction, she only knew that which was, just was. She knew what she had was sufficient, she needed nothing else. All of her life, she had been provided with the basic necessities to sustain herself. She was taught that she needed nothing else but that which would sustain her. So satisfaction was a foreign concept. 

With these idle thoughts, she was becoming sleepy. She wanted to rest, but there would not be much time for her to rest. The sun would rise in three hours and she would have to get up again. Commander Ikari told her that going to school would be "good for her". So she would go to school.

But just for a few moments, she reasoned, that it would be okay to rest her eyes.

Ayanami fell asleep on the bed, a small smile hovering on her lips.

* * *

Ikari Shinji woke up to a new day, stretching as he walked towards the living room. He reminded himself to clean up the apartment. Just as he walked past the bathroom, he caught his reflection in the mirror.

He sighed. It had happened again.

His eyes were swirling with amber, something he had not seen since the day his father had abandoned him. He quickly jogged back into his room and shuffled through his bag. His hands closed over a small item. He pulled them out and put them on his face.

They were a pair of dark, mirrored sunglasses.

Shinji sighed. He knew how much he would resemble his father if he wore them, but he had no other choice. The last time this had happened, he had had to transfer schools because the children had called him a demon and tried to, basically kill him.

People were vindinctive and malicious like that. But he supposed that he couldn't scare his roommate with his fucked up eyes. Then he would truly have some trouble on his hands. His father knew nothing about his eyes, it had begun to happen only after his father had left him.

How ironic that he would turn into a demon just when his father left.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind him. He proceeded towards the bathroom, hoping that the amber had died out. He poked his head in and lifted his glasses.

"Nope, still there," he sighed dejectedly.

"What's still there?" a voice called.

Startled, he whirled around with a yelp, the sunglasses thankfully staying on his face. Katsuragi Misato grinned at him, seemingly amused by his reaction. "Why're you wearing sunglasses? It's pretty dark in here."

_Shit!_ he thought. "Uhm, I, um, my eyes...they're sensitive, so, um, I have to wear them."

Misato peered at him carefully, scrutinizing him. Shinji sweated. _She can't find out! She'll report it to Father!_

However, she seemed to buy it as she just nodded. He mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

But that was short lived as Misato smirked and pulled the glasses off his face...

...and screamed.

* * *

End Act 1

Author's Notes:  
Well, another one down. I got a comment about the misleading title. I think you meant the summary, though. :P The title is called "Longinus" I took that from the show itself; the Spear of Longinus. But yes, the prologue is very misleading. But it's meant to be that way. I'm aware that there _is_ a manga with the title of **Ragnarok**, there's also one in Korean that shares the same title.

Anyways, this chapter is short. Sorry. :P I'll try to make them longer.

Thanks for the reviews.

On to Act 2...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	3. Act II Strike

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_**

Sachiel's defeat opens the gate to Shamshiel's entry. Loki the Trickster, Loki the God of Destruction. One and the same, all locked within Ikari Shinji's body. Behind the face of a meek, shy boy lies a demon waiting to devour its target. Why has Loki been following the orders of Fate? What will Loki do now that he has a chance of freedom?

And what role do the Angels play?

Longinus

**Act II - Strike**

_What is pain? The antithesis of love. What is love? Death._

She gaped at him, fascination and horror written plainly across her face, stumbling backwards from the shock. He quickly snatched the glasses back and turned around, Misato missed the cringe on his face. "Sorry."

She watched him, that image of his horrible eyes burned into her memory forever. His amber-tinted Prussian blue eyes. Swirling and writhing, coiled with an unknown power. The face of a demon.

"What...what the _hell_ was that!?" she whispered.

He turned to face her, now wearing his sunglasses. She could not see his expression or his eyes, a small blessing. His youthful face had somehow transformed to an exact copy of his father's stony visage. It was the glasses. _Definitely the damn glasses,_ she thought.

"That's...something I've had to live with for awhile now," he answered quietly. "It started happening when my father abandoned me."

"Is...it painful?" she ventured.

"No," he replied. "Just...random."

Misato was speechless. How was she to know that his eyes would invoke such terror and fear within her? Nothing about this was written in his physical evaluation. How had the doctor missed something so **fucking** obvious?!

"How come it isn't written in your report?" she asked.

"It happens spontaneously," said Shinji. "It only started to happen three months after my Father abandoned me. And it went on for a year, and then stopped."

Dumbstruck and without any clue as to how to deal with this, she stumbled her way to the kitchen and pulled out a can of beer. One can wouldn't do it. Blindly, she groped and grabbed three more cans from the fridge and sat down. "So..."

"Please don't tell anyone," he pleaded softly. "If they find out...I'll be ruined. Please!"

"Ruined?" she echoed.

He looked away, suddenly feeling even more uncomfortable than before. "...I got beaten up a lot because of my eyes."

It hit her immediately. "Oh," she said lamely.

The two of them sat there for a few minutes, Misato guzzling down beer while Shinji sat and wrung his hands together. The throbbing in his eyes had settled down to something more bearable. He quietly stood up. "I think I'll go out for a few minutes. Look around the city."

She nodded. "Take your cell phone. I'll call you later for a sync test."

He mumbled his assent before leaving the apartment. Misato slumped deeper into her seat, the memory of his mesmerizing, demonic eyes haunting her. She opened another can of beer, drinking that down before she made her way to the bathroom.

* * *

_He watched with amazement as the buildings came to life. They stretched out to the sky, seemingly reaching out towards the Heavens. The setting sun cast a reddish-rust hue around them; a calm feeling swept over him._

_"This is the last fortress of Humanity, Shinji-kun."_

_"It's the fortress that you saved."_

_To him though, her words were lost. But despite the feeling of awe and inspiration, he still caught the look in his new guardian's eyes. A look that he knew all too well._

_The look of fear._

Shinji stood at that same outlook again, the city looked so much different in broad daylight. It seemed as if the city had two faces...a pretentious face of perfection and the other its true form, filled with pain and darkness.

It was no surprise that she would be afraid of him. Who wouldn't be? Having your eyes spontaneously **_fucking GLOW_** amber was not a regular person. Unless their genetics had been messed around with. But he was naturally born so that wouldn't do...maybe his father wore glasses for the same reason.

"But he doesn't wear mirrored sunglasses, you stupid fuck," he muttered at himself.

The chances of him predicting when it would do this and how long it would take to settle was like his father suddenly breaking out into a rendition of that ancient musical _Grease_. It just _didn't **happen**_. He turned on his heel, wandering back towards the city called Tokyo-3.

**"Pitiful humans," he growled.**

**Loki's eyes turned towards the sky, where he could sense the invisible force of a great storm to come. No, not a storm in the literal sense...but chaos.**

**"Shamshiel...you had better _not_ fail," he muttered.**

**He knew that he shouldn't be doing this too often, that Katsuragi woman was already suspicious enough. Ikari's eyes would be a bright amber by now, with his influence as the stronger consciousness at the present moment. He would have to mask his more...obvious attributes with care.**

**After all, Ikari was a very special boy.**

**For harm to befall the troubled youth was to incur the full wrath of the Fates. Since he _was_ death, he would have to destroy the boy. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had grown fond of the young man he had grown with.**

**His amber eyes, behind the sunglasses spotted the telltale signs of civilization. He snarled. "These..._Lillium_ are pathetic. Why would the Fates want anything to do with them?!"**

**Just as he stepped into the actual city boundaries, he could immediately sense the danger coming. A group of teenage boys. Pathetic. His eyes behind the sunglasses glinted with malice and bloodthirst as he made the body casually stroll through the streets.**

"Hey you, the punk with the sunglasses!" a voice sneered.

Shinji turned around to find five boys walking towards him, sneering and chuckling darkly. He knew immediately that he was in trouble. Dammit! If only he hadn't let...

"You're a new face 'round here..." one said cheerfully. "Why don't we give you a tour around town?"

"Um, no thank you," said Shinji. "I'd rather not."

"Come _on_," said another. "We _insist_."

"I have to get going," Shinji answered, hoping to get out of the situation without fighting. He knew just how much **he** loved to fight.

But then again, so did he.

One of the other boys finally lost their patience as he lunged forward with a clumsy punch, something which Shinji sidestepped easily. After being beat up so many times, he learned to do it like an art form.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by the five boys without any means of escape. The boy that looked like the leader lunged forward with yet another punch. However, something changed. Shinji's eyes flashed a brilliant amber behind his sunglasses; everything played fast forward. He already knew how the fight was going to end. With that, **Loki lunged.**

**"You pititful child!"**

**He stepped into the circle of defence of his enemy, delivering a harrowing uppercut to the boy's stomach. He laughed as the boy fell to his knees, smirking as he whirled around and buried that same fist into another boy's face.**

He stepped back, taking a good look at his surroundings. Two were down, three were left. The adrenaline came back with a vengeance and soon, **Loki immersed himself in the battle. The thrill, the heady rush, that addictive pain...all of it. It called to him, whispered to him like a seductress. **This was what _they_ lived for.

In a matter of minutes, a series of well-timed kicks and palm-strikes had left him free of his attackers. Only one was left standing, armed with a switchblade. The boy ran at him in a desperate, final attempt to hurt him, but Shinji sharply dodged...

...the sunglasses fell off his face...

...**and Loki smiled.**

* * *

Within the city, a distinct _snapping_ noise and a scream of pain echoed.

Followed by soft laughter.

* * *

Sometime near the time of the sunset, Shinji returned to the apartment, the sunglasses still sitting on his face. Misato looked up and greeted him. "How was your day?"

A soft, shy smile graced the small boy's lips. "It was fine."

Misato grinned back. "I'm glad. So how do you like the city?"

He contemplated all that he had seen...and done today. Could he answer her? _Was_ there an answer? "It's okay. I'm still getting adjusted."

She laughed. "It takes awhile. I know."

They shared a short banter before they sat down at the table and ate their meals. Misato smiled to herself. He hadn't met their _other_ roommate just yet but she knew, since tomorrow was Thursday that he would encounter her good-natured roommate.

He sighed to himself quietly, she hadn't suspected anything. Shortly after, he retreated to the bathroom to check his reflection. He pulled the sunglasses away from his eyes and...

...saw his own Prussian blue eyes staring back at him.

At the last moments of that fight, he knew that his eyes had blazed a bright amber, having seen his reflection in the metal behind that boy. But now that **he** had been burned out of his system (for now), he could finally stop wearing the sunglasses. He walked back to his room, bidding his guardian and superior officer good night.

Misato watched him go and then returned her attention back to the reports from Section 2. They had been very thorough in their report, and she shivered. They had been _generous_ enough to include a video footage of Shinji...extracurricular activity today. The sheer menace that the young boy exuded...it sent a shiver down her spine.

Pressing 'REWIND' on the remote control, she watched again as the boy on the screen cowered in fear and absolute horror. His face contorted sharply as his arm and neck were snapped. The boy screamed.

And on the screen, the terrifyingly hypnotic eyes of Ikari Shinji danced with glee and satisfaction as the boy's life was abruptly snuffed out.

SURVELLIANCE REPORT SECTION 2 #03-0869-2015  
SUBJECT: Ikari, SHINJI [THIRD CHILD]

LOCATION: OUTSKIRTS OF TOKYO-3, TOGAI DISTRICT

DETAILS: SUBJECT ENTERED CONFRONTATION WITH 5 UNIDENTIFIED TARGETS. PHYSICAL VIOLENCE. TARGETS 1 - 4 UNCONSCIOUS WITH MINOR INJURIES. TARGET 5 DECEASED. BROKEN ARM & NECK. SUBJECT FLED SCENE SHORTLY AFTER, FOUND WALKING THROUGH TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL PARK. TARGETS HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH.

TIME: 1100 - 1528

ON DUTY AGENT: AGENT NISHIKAWA TAKESHI

* * *

And somewhere within the void, a voice that bubbled and warbled like the waters spoke. "**I will not fail you, Odin.**"

As the sun greeted the new day, **Shamshiel** began to ready himself for his strike.

* * *

End Act 2

Author's Notes  
I like this too much. All this Norse mythology is _great_! ^^ Anyways, yes, I've completely made Shinji OOC. :) Don't we all like him better this way? Come on, admit it, you've wanted to see Shinji all twisted and evil and dark like this! ADMIT IT!!! *cough* Okay, sorry. I'll stop antagonizing you.

Anyways, most of the Norse mythology listed in the fic is pretty accurate for the most part. To learn more, I got all of my information from: 

Saying something would be nice. If you do say something, thanks! For those who have already said something, thanks! :)

By the way, it might be confusing, but Shinji/Loki are one and the same, but they have 2 consciousness. The dominant consciousness is Shinji, but sometimes, Loki will take control in order to either safeguard Shinji for his "games" or just to beat shit up. ^^ The soul that makes up Shinji is purely Loki, but Shinji has his own consciousness. Does that make sense? So Shinji is Shinji, but Shinji's also Loki. Sort of like, multiple personality disorder, but Loki _is_ Shinji while still being Loki.

I don't think that made _any_ sense...

On to Act III...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	4. Act III Hunt

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_**

As Shamshiel readies himself for his attack, Shinji greets the new day. The first day at his new school, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School. What fate lies within the walls of the school are known to none but the Fates themselves.

The variable known as Ayanami Rei becomes more unstable as she begins to unravel and destroy the carefully laid plans of the Fates...

The Fates are angry...

Longinus

**Act III - Hunt**

_Am I a coward? No. Then what am I? Weak._

Shinji made his way to school, still wondering _why_ a warm-water penguin was doing in his guardian's home. He didn't understand it at all, but he assumed that whatever the reason was, it was probably a legitimate reason. Pen-pen, what a strange name...

The walk to the school was not the msot eventful. It was downright **BORING**. But he supposed that he couldn't exactly complain. He was new to the city, so it was understandable that he knew nobody here.

Upon reaching the school building, he saw the other students walking in, and so he followed them. He found his way to the class that he would be joining. 2-A. He looked down at the small scrap of paper.

_Class 2-A  
Class Representative: Horaki Hikari_

With a heavy sigh, he shuffled into the classroom. Thankfully, nobody paid him too much attention. However, one person did.

"Are you the new transfer student?" a female voice queried.

Startled, he jerked up and found a young girl looking at him. She had brown hair and freckles. "Um, yeah."

"Ikari, right?"

He nodded. "You must be the Class Representative. Horaki-san, right?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah, that's me. Welcome to Class 2-A, Ikari-kun."

Hikari handed him a red laptop and a small 5 minute lecture began on how to use the laptop and what was expected of him from the class. Then again, the procedures of the school were not any different from any other school in Japan. So he nodded along and registered himself onto the school's network.

She left him shortly after to talk to her friends and once more, he was alone. Just then, the teacher walked in.

"Rise! Bow! Sit!"

The first day of Ikari Shinji's school career in Tokyo-3 began.

* * *

_Pain burned in his hands and his feet. He was acutely aware of what was happening and what was expected of him. His eyes focused on nothing, concentrating on sending a prayer to the Heavens. He knew that he would die soon, he could feel the strength leave him._

_So this was what it meant to the First Saviour of Mankind._

_Suddenly, he felt a chill pass through his body. He looked around and found a soldier holding a large sword. Something...something about that sword called him, beckoned him to break free._

_He knew he could. These restraints were nothing compared to him. He could easily have brimestone and sulphur rain down on these people, but no. He had been given power for a reason and he was responsible for it._

_But that sword...it **spoke** to him._

_"**Did you think you could escape me...Loki?**"_

_"**Do you not remember your Servant...your faithful servant Longinus?**"_

_Longinus..._

_And pain flared in his right side, the chilling laughter of Longinus hissing in his ear._

He slammed his eyes shut, feeling that same burning chill go through his body. Not now! He fought it with all he had, knowing that if he were found out now, he would probably end up transferring schools again. He still had the scars from one particularly nasty beating that had happened when he was ten.

It still burned, that scar, when the weather turned too stormy. It had been a rainy day, the raindrops had sent searing pain lacing through his back, but that was the moment when he had changed. He had stopped being a child.

He had given up on life.

The whispers did not reach him, but a sudden, soft beep alerted him. He catiously peered an eye opened and carefully checked his reflection in the glare of the laptop. Thankfully, his eyes were still their usual blue colour.

[ARE YOU THE NEW PILOT?: Y/N]  
[YES]

* * *

Ayanami gazed impassively out of the school's windows. He could hear the disbelief as the students rushed to question her fellow Pilot. But she paid that no heed. All she wanted to figure out was the mystery that was Ikari Shinji.

What was it about him? What made her feel...terrified of him? He was, from what she had gathered so far a meek, shy, belligerant boy who had no respect for their superior who was his own father.

In simple, layman's terms...

...she disliked Ikari.

Those eyes of his hypnotized her with their intensity and mockery. They mocked her for her incomprehension, but an unknown lurked within them, waiting for her to be unaware before it devoured her like a hunter would devour its prey. She hated the feeling that he evoked in her, that feeling of helplessness and claustrophobia. She felt trapped in his gaze, as if a certain death would await her if she were to become too lost in those demonic eyes.

But nothing was wrong with Ikari.

Ikari was physically normal, looking like a regular human being. He was around 5'4" and at a slightly below average weight, but otherwise, there was nothing _wrong_ with Ikari. But what made her feel as if she should stay as far away from him as possible? He was her fellow Pilot, she would have to be in contact with him.

The thought made her feel...scared.

Scared?

What was fear? She had never felt fear before. She knew what fear was _supposed_ to be, she herself had never experienced that feeling of fear. He made her feel things that she had never felt before. He made her angry. He made her afraid. He made her frustrated. He confused her. He was like a puzzle wrapped in enigma, daring others to become lost in the path of finding out just _who_ Ikari Shinji really was. He mocked her, taunted her to do it.

And that made Ayanami Rei very angry. She did not like knowing, she wanted to know everything. Not knowing could mean fatal errors or vital information overlookd that could lead to miscalculations. Her world was ruled by calculations and logic; nothing could ever disprove cold, hard facts.

The sky was bright, it was a cloudless day.

She felt it again.

That chill that always signified that something was coming. Would today be another day? Another attack? A quiet sigh escaped her, unnoticed by all the others. The students were still engrossed in Ikari and Evangelions. She continued to stare out the window, the chill rushing through her once more, this time with more force.

It would be coming soon.

* * *

He was thrown roughly down as the fist made impact with his face. He expected that when the boy and his friend had asked him to step outside after school. There would be no other reason for them to associate themselves with him.

**Loki itched to return the favour with interest, but Shinji held him back. He raged. _Why_ would a superior person like Ikari submit to these...worthless Lillum?! He howled and pushed, wanting to be free. He _wanted_ to smash these stupid children and teach them a lesson.**

**But Ikari's will was stronger this time, he would not let him hurt these boys. Growling in frustration, Loki acquiesced to his vessel's wishes. For now.**

Shinji sighed in relief as the boys walked away. He stayed down on the ground for some time, until a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Ikari, there is an emergency. I will go," she said quietly.

With that, Ayanami ran off. He watched her go for a few minutes, pulled himself off of the ground and followed after her.

_Target center switch...pull trigger..._

* * *

**Shamshiel** slithered through the streets, searching for the target. He stood up on its "legs" and faced something that rumbled and blinked. Was this the target? Was this the same being that had destroyed **Sachiel**?

And indeed it was.

The same copy of Lillith stepped forth, but he sensed it. A very strange being somewhere within the Lillith-clone. It was a powerful, dangerous being. He was now wary. It had defeated **Sachiel** with relative ease despite its inferior structure.

Suddenly, it disappeared. _Damn it!_ Where did that aberration go?!

From nowhere, a hail of projectiles came at him and he was surprised. He raised his AT Field, easily deflecting and disintegrating the projectiles. Silly thing. He was invincible with his AT Field spread. A veil of smoke hid him now, and he grinned as he lashed out.

What surprised him was the fact that his arms were caught by the machine and then thrown aside. It came at him, low and fast like a panther.

**Loki snarled as he brought a fist down onto the Angel's head, and then another. Then another and another. He pummeled it with all of his might, throwing punches when he could. He could hear the dim buzz of the com window but that did not matter. He would _BEAT THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF HIM!!!_**

**He moved the body to use the console, throwing all of his strength and will into the punches. He would _not_ lose to such a pathetic underling creature. He would NOT LOSE!**

But it seemed that the Fates had other plans in mind. A small opening was all that it took to force Unit 01 back into a defensive position; a feeble one at that. It was continuously being lashed back by the tentacles, finally thrown miles against the mountain.

**He looked at the Angel, snarling maliciously. This..._creature_ dare try to defeat _HIM?!_ The God of Destruction?! **Shinji froze as two very familiar boys showed on his vid screen. It was those two boys! The same ones that had beat him up. **_Leave them Ikari_ said Loki. _They're not worth it. Let them die._**

"NO!" he shouted.

"Shinji! Let them into your entry plug! Hurry!"

They scrambled into the plug. Shinji could feel the tingling burn on his hands from the Eva. There wasn't much time left.

"KYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

Touji and Kensuke watched as the Pilot surged forward with a last, desperate attempt. **Pain ran through the vessel, but he paid it no mind, nor the two boys. He was losing the connection with this large machine, but he _had_ to defeat this. He would NOT lose!**

**"I WILL NOT LOSE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!!!"**

The Progressive Knife stabbed into **Shamshiel**'s core, sparks flew as **Shamshiel** tried to attack. But it was no use. The seconds were counting down, time was slipping through his fingers.

"KYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

...0

* * *

"Target is silent."

They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, they could not see the scene within the entry plug.

The image of a sobbing boy, a boy in pain.

A broken boy.

* * *

"Damn you Loki!" a voice screeched.

The image shimmered and faded away, leaving three women standing there. They were livid!

Loki was a cunning man, having been named the God of Trickery. The same God of Destruction was one of the most dangerous men in History, even in a History long forgotten by Man and Lillum alike. They were one and the same, mortals created by Gods in order to amuse themselves. They were pitiful, worthless creations, but necessary if they wanted to implement their Final Scenario.

But Loki...and that _girl_. The girl without a past, the empty vessel without a past. Loki was proving to be a sneaky bastard indeed. But what bothered them more was that girl, the girl with the red eyes and blue hair that had no past.

No! Nothing would ruin the plans of Fate! _Nothing_ could ever sway the direction of Fate, so long as they were around to monitor it.

"He is becoming yet another unstable factor, sister," another voice murmured silkily. "He is to be eliminated."

"I must remind you sister, Loki resides within Shinji. We _need_ Shinji for this Scenario. He is the Last One," the first voice replied.

"Must we use Ikari?" the voice queried. "The Second or the Fourth would be sufficient."

"No. The Second is unstable mentally, we have other plans for the Second. The Fourth is different, he is still a child, naive and ignorant."

She laughed. "They are all Children, sister. But I do see what you mean."

"Loki has to be kept alive if we want to use Shinji," one murmured. "Even if it displeases us, we must do what we must in order to fulfill the Scenario."

"That girl...that girl frightens me so," the third said reflectively. "She has no past. That is physically impossible. No person can be alive without a past."

They all nodded. It truly was impossible for this girl to be in possession of a soul without that soul having lived through past lives. Each soul was composed of shards of previous lives. Souls did not die, they merely housed themselves in other bodies until the body died. Some souls would become lost or be sent down to Hell or Heaven, depending on what kind of lives they had lived. Some souls were sucked into the Void, where they would exist but never die.

It was a cruel fate, really, to be left in the Void. It was a place where they became autonomous and unaware of their true selves. They would become machines for the Fates to use for their disposal.

But not Loki.

Loki was too smart, too dangerous to really make like that. To lose Loki's cunning mind and superior strength would mean that the Fates would one day be defied.

But now, it seemed that the Lillum would defy the Fates with Loki. Loki was not to be trusted, neither were the Lillum. This girl, this Lillum would answer to the Fates once she came to her time. It would be unavoidable.

The Fates had decreed it so.

* * *

Shinji looked over at his Guardian, a soft smile on his face. "Thank you, Misato-san."

She smiled at him. "No problem, Shinji-kun."

She fondly ruffled his hair before walking out of the Infirmary room. He sighed as he rested against the pillows. He looked down at his taped hands, still red and painful from the burns he received from the Angel.

By what he had been told, he should not have exactly gotten these burns. He knew that his synch ratio had not been steady in the moment of the battle with the two classmates in his entry plug. But he supposed that it was probably from before they entered his entry plug.

"Oh well..." he sighed. "I guess it's another of those things..."

He grimaced as his hand twitched. A lasting side-effect of doing what he did during that battle. More technological babble had been spewed at him to explain his injury, but it had gone straight over his head just like everything else.

Ritsuko walked into the room just then and looked at him pointedly. He fought back an urge to say something spiteful. "Shinji-kun, how are you feeling?"

"Other than the hands I'm fine Akagi-san," he answered.

"That's good. I've already informed Misato that you're being released," said Ritsuko.

He smiled and nodded. "Thank you Akagi-san."

"It's not a problem Shinji-kun," she said pleasantly.

**_I doubt that you are pleasant, Akagi Ritsuko. You have many secrets that you hide away from the world...but I know. I know all your dirty little secrets. You'll WISH you hadn't met me, Ritsuko. I'll make sure of it._**

**Loki smirked darkly as Ritsuko walked out of the room, malice shining in his amber-tinted Prussian blue eyes.**

Shinji stood up and walked out of the room, wondering how to find his superior officer and guardian.

* * *

"He's like a hunter, waiting for its prey," commented Fuyutsuki.

"Indeed."

The two men watched the surveillance tape brought to them by Section 2, a surprising footage of the Third Child's...extracurricular exploits. Even Fuyutsuki shivered as he watched the lean boy fight, the sheer anger and raw fury exuding and pounding like a tsunami.

"What will you do about this, Gendou?"

Ikari Gendou watched as the Third Child -- no, his _son_ -- sharply dodge. The sunglasses fell away from the boy's face to reveal the horrible secret. The secret of his son's true nature.

Amber eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure as the poor boy on the screen screamed. The scream was abruptly cut off as his neck was snapped; soft laughter followed shortly.

"For now, nothing."

"What?" said Fuyutuski. "He's dangerous!"

"He poses no danger. His affliction is irrelevant to the plans at hand," Gendou answered evenly. "Let him think that I do not know. Nothing will lead us astray from the plans."

Stiffly, almost contemptuously, Fuyutsuki bowed and left the room, leaving Gendou in the silence after the end of the footage.

In the silence after the rage.

* * *

End Act 3

Author's Notes  
Wow, it seems that people are liking this a lot. As someone commented in a review, it is very difficult to balance Shinji's kind nature with Loki's destructive one. I've tried my best to show that in this fic with the fight between Touji and Shinji. It also shows that Loki's will _can_ be overpowered by Shinji when it is required. I've put a scene here with the Fates discussing Ayanami and Loki and "alternate" possibilities (all nixed).

Thank you for the warm reception of the fic. I thought I was just a poor crazy little girl writing fanfiction in a state of delusional frenzy. ^^ I guess not. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews. Comments, criticisms, flames, blah blah blah is always welcome.

On to Act IV...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	5. Act IV Healing Cycle

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_**

The Fates have declared their intent with Ayanami, their rage burns strong and deep. Loki is up to something, but no one knows what. Shinji is trapped between two worlds, one of duty and one of safety. Which will he choose?

Longinus

**Act IV - Healing Cycle**

_Why do the dead smile? Because they stopped suffering._

Misato groggily woke up, the ringing of her alarm clock rousing her to sobriety. She shut off the offending machine before making her way to the bathroom. She drowsily asked herself what she was doing taking care of a belligerant fourteen year old. He had no desire to do anything but sit there.

He was a waste of space.

So she still asked herself. _Why am I doing this?_

She could have left him to live on his own, living in that apartment block all by himself. Then she would not have to trouble herself by taking care of him. She still had the chance to put him into a different housing location. Ritsuko had told her so.

But...he was alone. No parents. The father was a bastard, his mother was dead, he was alone. She felt pity for him. She reminded him of an innocence that she had lost along the way.

Making her way towards the hall, she knocked on his door. "Shinji-kun, are you going to skip school again?"

"Shinji-kun!"

She opened the door.

* * *

Ayanami silently watched the video footage of the latest Angel battle. There was a different quality to the battle. It seemed that Unit 01 had gotten the first wind, smashing at the defences of the Angel. The hail of bullets had hidden it in smoke, but it had not hindered Unit 01's attacks very much. It had lunged like a seasoned fighter, smashing at Shamshiel's body with strong punches.

But a small hole in the defense had cost Unit 01 its chance at a quick victory. The tentacles lashed out and slammed into Unit 01; the unit was sent flying backwards.

She watched impassively as the struggle went on. The footage showed the Evangelion holding the tentacles of the Angel known as Shamshiel. A short moment later, Unit 01 began to smash the Angel, the tidal wave of fury pouring through the furious, desperate attack.

The Progressive Knife smashed into the core of the Angel, sparks flying as the Progressive Knife tried to force itself deeper into the core. As if an internal battle of wills were clashing between the knife and the Angel's core, the sparks flew brighter and deeper.

Then it was over.

Blackness dominated the screen, but she continued to stare at the blank screen. Her thoughts would not stray from Ikari, the boy who intrigued her. The boy that terrified her, the boy who looked at her like a predator.

She would never admit it...

...but she _wanted_ to be trapped his gaze.

That fiery, haunting gaze that stalked her in her dreams. The gaze that seared through her, saw her for who she truly was. Not for the girl that everyone else saw, he saw her for her, Ayanamai Rei. Not Pilot Ayanami, not the First Child, but just Rei. She wanted to trapped in that predatory gaze, but at the same time, she wanted to flee from that same gaze, flee and run away as far as possible.

But she didn't know why.

Unlike Commander Ikari, Pilot Ikari was much more gentle and forgiving. But she owed everything to Commander Ikari. He defined her very existance, he gave her a purpose. Commander Ikari...cared about he and he had raised her, whereas Pilot Ikari was just a fellow student, a fellow pilot. Nothing else.

Commander Ikari knew everything, he had the answer to all of her questions.

Except for this.

Why did Pilot Ikari...frighten her?

* * *

He sat on the train, his SDAT player the only measure of comfort he had. He knew that there would be a price to pay, but he hadn't thought that he would be _that _unappreciated. He had killed the Angel, hadn't he? Wasn't that what they wanted, to kill the Angels?

So why did he get reprimanded for doing his job?

_"You disregarded my orders"_ Misato had said.

**"Fuck those damn orders," he muttered.**

Shinji sighed. He could feel the rage, boiling within him. The potent power, waiting to strike out at the nearest person. He _wanted_ to hit someone, take out the frustration and confusion out on them. He didn't understand.

**He didn't want to.**

He knew that what he was doing was cowardly. He knew it, but he did not care. He looked down at his bandaged hands once more. The right hand twitched slightly, he winced. The burns were healing quickly, but it still hurt if he moved them in a certain way. Sighing, he let himself be led into his thoughts, the only company he had.

**Loki had held some sort of an opinion on that Katsuragi woman, but whatever good graces she had been in was now obliterated. How _dare_ she! He had done his duty, he had done _Shinji's_ duty and this was what he received?! That ungrateful whore.**

**_Kill her Shinji_ he whispered. _She's useless, she'll die anyways. Why don't you kill her? I know you want to hurt her Shinji, I know you do. Beat her! Show her why she should fear you. That pathetic bitch is powerless...kill her. KILL HER!_**

_No..._he thought desperately. _I don't! I don't want to kill her! No! NO!_

**_I know you do. I _am_ you, you know. You and me...we're the same person. I make up you, you make up me. We're intricately bonded, the Fates made it so. You want to kill her, I want to kill her. I want to fuck her...so do you. Do you understand? So do it. Kill her. I'll help you, kill her, _Loki offered. _You know you want to. There's no harm, Shinji. They'll find a replacement for her. Kill her. Kill that stupid little bitch,_ Loki purred.**

**_Come on Shinji_ Loki smiled.**

_No! I won't! Shut up! I don't want to kill her!_ Shinji shouted vehemently.

**Loki laughed. It was funny, really, that Shinji would always deny what he truly felt. The boy had lived for too long repressing himself. He had lived without any outlet for his anger and his rage...a potent rage that devoured and consumed. _That_ was why Loki liked being Ikari Shinji. Shinji was powerful, smart and deadly. Behind that mask of a meek, shy teenager lay a man who could kill. Who WANTED to kill.**

**This was the teenager that the Marduk Institution had seen. The murderous, ruthless Ikari Shinji. The Ikari Shinji that had killed his evaluator to keep the secret. The secret of his eyes, those terrifying demon eyes that struck fear into all those who could meet them.**

**And how he had reveled in the dying scream of that idiotic Marduk Evaluator.**

**He shrugged, dropping the issue for now. Shinji would do what he wanted in due time. So he let Shinji deny the accusations, but even Shinji knew that he truly wanted to kill.**

Shinji furiously pushed **him** back, the tumultuous emotions rumbling and roiling within him. He hated it when **he** manipulated him, bringing the urges much too close to the surface. He honestly didn't want to hurt people...but sometimes, he couldn't help it. They thought him weak, worthless and stupid. He was none of those, he would prove it to them. The only way was to hurt them, beat them and show them that _he_, Ikari Shinji was superior, not they.

But even he knew that hurting others to prove his superiority was a hypocrisy.

After the pain of being beaten...he had promised himself that he would try to be kinder to others. Nobody deserved the kind of pain that he had endured. He would never wish that kind of pain upon anyone, no matter how much he hated them. The pain of being ostracized by society, having to endure a life that gave you nothing but pain. No, nobody deserved that.

The maglev train continued on its path and Shinji sat, listening to the music, asking himself why.

* * *

"So...any word?"

"No."

Silence reigned.

Misato knew that this _would_ happen. The evaluations from the Marduk Institute had said that Shinji had a weak character, running at the first sight of pain. It disgusted her, really that he would be that cowardly. This wasn't the place for kids with that kind of attitude. Could they really rely on such a weak boy to save humanity?

"What are you going to do?" Ritsuko asked.

A pause. Then, "Nothing."

The blond scientist looked over at the Captain with mild surprise. "Why?"

"Because people like him...it's probably better that he doesn't come back," Misato answered quietly.

Ritsuko did not pursue the query any further.

* * *

_Smack._

_Thump._

_Thud._

_Crack._

_"Stop..."_

_Childish giggles echoed and reverberated in his skull as the blows rained down on his small body viciously. He could hear their words, calling him a demon and an animal._

_"Animals deserve to be treated like animals!"_

_And the parade of pain continued._

He slumped into a corner of an abandoned building, cowering as he tried to control the flow of memories. The endless parade of pain and anguish, all pouring forth like a broken dam. There was no stop once it began, the unmitigated fury and pain pounding, throbbing and pulsating like the beats of his heart.

Everything blurred together, all he could feel were those children, beating him into the dirt path that he had once lain on, blood oozing and dripping from his wounds. The looks that people had given him as they walked by...not even lending him a hand.

_Bastards...fucking assholes...all I asked for was a bit of help...cruel, worthless people...begging for me to stop...pleading, screaming for mercy...worthless fucks... I begged you to stop then...did you stop? No, no you didn't. So I didn't stop, you fuck. I kept going...it feltsogoodkillingyouhurtingyou...painpainpainohgodthepain!!!_

**_Dammit Shinji, stop. You're going over...stop Shinji, let me take over. Shinji, stop! NO! SHINJI!!!_ Loki roared.**

* * *

A man paused in his rush home, standing still for a minute. Scratching his head, he continued on his walk home.

But he _swore_ that he had heard a beast in the distance, screaming.

* * *

"Have they found him yet?"

"No."

"....."

"It seems that your son has been eluding the best of Section 2," said an amused Fuyutsuki.

Gendou remained silent, sitting as he normally did: elbows propped on, hands folded in front of his face under his nose. The dim light of the room glinted off of his glasses, hiding his deep brown eyes from view. To the staff he was an expression, grim man. But a man who got his job done, regardless of the opinion of others. His job as the Commander of the 1st NERV Branch was to ensure that the Scenario was following the schedule.

Even if that meant disregarding his own son.

Son. How...surreal it felt calling the Third Child his son. He had not thought much of him after leaving him, but he knew that deep down, he would have failed as a father anyway. Yui had taken care of both him and their child, but he had always been busy. He had failed as a father the moment Shinji was born into the world.

But the biggest failure was abandoning him.

He knew it, Fuyutsuki knew it, Akagi knew it and Katsuragi knew it. Hell, the entire bridge crew knew it. Abandoning a child?

The chasms were too wide, no time to build bridges. No _will_ to build the bridges to repair their relationship.

What would Yui say if she saw him now? Would she be disappointed that he hadn't taken care of Shinji? Would she be angry? Sad? What would she think of Shinji?

Questions that would never have answers, save one.

Yui would have been proud of her son.

"Tell Section 2 to find the Third Child at all costs. He is crucial to their and our plans," he ordered.

Fuyutsuki smiled slightly as he bowed and took his leave. He knew that Gendou would have folded anyway, knowing that the man truly wasn't that heartless. He had made mistakes, Gendou had been aware of the consequences, even if it meant sacrificing his own son.

Sighing, he strode through the halls of the base, making his way towards the Section 2 headquarters.

* * *

Kensuke paused in his war game as a figure appeared in his peripheral vision. He looked over and espised the figure, it was the new transfer student! Wondering why he was wandering around with a bag, he decided to call him. "Hey! New kid!!"

The new kid, Ikari turned to see him, and they met eye-to-eye. Kensuke shivered, suddenly feeling cold. But he paid it no mind and waved him over. Ikari made his way towards him, a puzzled look on his face.

They talked, but Kensuke suddenly noticed that Ikari's shirt was barely there. It was torn up, ripped and barely hanging on his thin frame. "Jeez, what happened to your shirt, Ikari?"

Shinji uncomfortably looked away. "I...got into a...tangle with some branches."

_The wings erupted from his back, pain exploding as the skin stretched. The black wings grew bigger and wider; he instinctively flapped them and black feathers fell around him like a shroud..._

"Oh, I see," said Kensuke somewhat lamely. He wisely did not mention the bloodstains on the shirt.

"Won't your mom get worried about you?" asked Shinji.

"I don't have one," said Kensuke. "I'm like you."

Unfortunately, Shinji found no comfort in those words. _Nobody should have to be like me..._ he thought solemnly.

Underneath the stars of the night, Ikari Shinji and Aida Kensuke sat together not as classmates, but as friends.

* * *

["We have located the Third Child."]

["Retrieve him."]

["Yes sir."]

*click*

* * *

"You're going back from where you came, Shinji," said Misato.

He did not answer her. He stared off into space, still wearing his ragged, torn shirt. His eyes were flat and dead, lifeless like those no longer living. He was not hunched over, he sat straight and tall, but with a weariness that he should have never known. **Loki hated it. How Ikari could stand being so...subservient SICKENED him. It made him want to rip the boy a new one and shove a spine up that said new one. Why would he acquiesce to someone like Katsuragi? Or even his father Ikari Gendou? There was none who could lord over Shinji. None. So why did he even give the pretense of it?**

Misato shivered and involuntarily took a step back. The boy's eyes were amber again, writing with fury. Those demonic eyes looked at her, bored into her, seared through her masks and laid bare her soul.

**"Where he came from?" Loki laughed. "You wouldn't know what you're sending him back to, bitch."**

She took another step back. That low, growling voice was nothing like Shinji's soft, shy alto voice. It was a smooth baritone, laced with authority, power and menace.

**"After all..."**

And here,** Loki smirked darkly, **distorting the usual meek face of Shinji into something fierce rivalling his father.

**"_Animals deserve to be treated like animals._"**

The shirt fell away from the boy's thin body, no longer able to hold itself together. The material fluttered to the ground, a large portion of it stained with a dull crimson. The blood from the two large marks on his back had bled profusely for a short while, dyeing it with the color of blood. In this dim light, she hadn't been able to see the red or even the location where the stain had been.

**Loki looked down at the shirt. "Well...look at that."**

Misato looked at the shirt.

**"I guess I'll have to get a new shirt."**

* * *

Touji stood there, waiting for the blow. He had asked for it, hell, he _deserved_ it after knocking the new kid **twice**. "Wait, Ikari. Don't hold back."

Shinji paused for a moment, then nodded. With a hesitant breath, Shinji launched his fist towards Touji's face. It landed with a solid _smack_ and sent the bigger boy reeling backwards, grasping his jaw with a surprised expression. Shinji smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

They parted.

Kensuke looked over and then nudged Touji in the ribs. "Hey look! It's that Misato-san! The mega babe!"

She paid them no attention (she didn't even know that they were there), watching as the train rushed by. So. Shinji was gone.

But...wait.

He was still there, watching her with those deep, Prussian eyes. Eyes not holding any malice, but just hints of loneliness, fear and resignation. They looked into each other's eyes, time flowing past them.

Then he finally spoke.

"I'm home."

She smiled. "Welcome home."

Despite the fact that she smiled, she still couldn't erase the image of those powerful eyes, that deep voice, growling. The voice that had shook her to the core, the words reverberating in her soul. The fear that raced through her veins like lightning.

Then she noticed.

His hands weren't bandaged anymore.

* * *

End Act 4

Author's Notes:  
I had another copy of this on my computer at school. It's slightly different, and unfinished. I was planning to e-mail it to myself home, but I ran out of time in class and forgot. :P Anyways, here is Act IV, Healing Cycle. I called it _Wounded_ first, but then I realized that it wouldn't exactly fit with the ending. Also, I'm showing a growing conflict within Ayanami and how she wants to get closer to him, but at the same time, wants to run away from him screaming "bloody murder". ^^ I'm going to show that in Misato as well, seeing since Shinji did scare the woman.

Next...Asuka's appearance. *evil smile* Fufufufufufufu...^^

On to Act V...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	6. Act V Meetings

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_.**

Misato meets Loki and Ayanami's mind is in turmoil. Run or stay? Friendship born of enmity becomes stronger. A new face enters and more pawns are put into place. The ultimate test of wills begins and ends.

Longinus

**Act V - Meetings**

_Is companionship weak? No. Why? To have companionship is to have courage._

**Gaghiel** lurked within the waters, waiting for his chance to strike. The deep waters hid his dark body, the only sign of his life were the glowing eyes. He swam through the water, heading towards its target destination.

"I will not fail you."

* * *

He sat at his desk, dutifully but half-heartedly taking haphazard notes as their prehistoric teacher prattled on about the transformation of sinusoidal curves. As much as he liked school to an extent, he had already covered this part of the curriculum and wished that the teacher would move on. This was boring as the Second Impact lecture that their teacher rambled about. At least it was a slight change from the actual Second Impact lecture.

"By adding the 'n' value to the equation..."

Dimly, he let his gaze wander over the classroom and it fell on his silent pilot, Ayanami. What was it about her that made him feel...unfit for his skin? Her steely gaze made him feel uncomfortable, as if she was looking straight into his soul and sneering at him disdainfully. He wanted to meet her gaze, to stare back at her with that same strength but he could not. He was too afraid of what she would find within him.

_"Animals deserve to be treated like animals!"_

Was he? Well, technically he was. But what rights did his fellow human beings have at calling each other animals? Were they not animals too? But he surmised that because of his eyes and...other supernatural abilities, he could be considered sub-human. Of course, he didn't exactly like to be called or acknowledge the fact that he was a sub-human; nobody liked it.

Ayanami felt the prickling of someone gaze upon her. The only one who would gaze at her would be Ikari. The others were other too scared or did not care about her to actually look at her. She shivered slightly, she did not want his gaze upon her.

The bell rang and the students stood up, making their way towards the cafeteria or other places where they would eat lunch. "Ikari."

He stopped and looked over at her. "Yes?"

Her mouth quirked at the corners, a frown creasing her usually placid features. "Do not stare at me."

She walked away.

* * *

Gendou sat at his desk, the footage of the last Angel battle playing on the large vid screen. As usual, Fuyutsuki stood at his side, refraining to comment on the battle. Ayanami had done her duty, but something about it still irked Gendou.

Fuyutsuki did not comment on it.

Shinji had done his duty as well, but the fact that he had been injured before going into battle had made it a bit risky. Not to mention that the superheated LCL due to the particle attack from the Angel had probably done a number on his system. It was bad enough that the Third Child already had a twitch in his left hand from the attack of the third Angel Sachiel. 

"The aim was a bit off," said Fuyutsuki.

"Irrelevant." Gendou answered stoically.

The footage cut out and the room was silent once more. Fuyutsuki was well aware that their plans would come to fruition soon enough, but what about the plans of their superiors? The ones who had founded NERV (formerly known as GHERIN) would surely destroy them both if they dared to stray away from the plans.

"Who will be attacking us today?"

"Gaghiel, the Angel rising from the waters."

"Do you think it will attack the convoy?"

"We planned the path to intercept the Angel precisely for that reason," Gendou replied.

"I see. So Over the Rainbow will be the main staging area for this particular attack?"

"Yes. We will be using Unit 02."

They said no more as Gendou stood up and strode out of the room, Fuyutsuki dutifully and loyally following his commanding officer and former student.

* * *

Shinji sat with Kensuke and Touji, his new friends from school, for lunch. It was pleasant to have friends to sit with at lunch. The whispers and the giggles about his pilot status still raged on between the females in Class 2-A, but Shinji paid it no heed. He assumed that they did this for all pilots (save Ayanami). Misato had told him that they would be meeting the Second Child today, and that he could bring two friends with him.

So he naturally chose Touji and Kensuke, who were now raving with excitement and Kensuke praising him like a God.

**Too bad he doesn't know that he is talking to a God, Loki mused jovially.**

He knew of his trangression from two days ago. He knew that it meant that his power was growing stronger, and his control over his powers was becoming stronger. Although whether that boded good luck or ill happenings was still uncertain. He knew that he could control him when he was too weak mentally or emotionally to do it, but he could also control him when he applied his will and forced him back. It was a strange relationship that they shared in one body.

He thought about the Second Child. What would she be like? All he knew was that it was a female and that she had been trained at NERV-3-Germany branch. It had been barely three weeks since he had begun to pilot the Evangelion, but she had been training since childhood. He hoped that he didn't disappoint her too badly.

(Then again, Shinji was unaware that his synch ratio was sitting at 68.752% and still rising.)

Kensuke was excited that he could see military carriers with his very own eyes. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he would make sure that he took every single advantage of it. And on top of that, he would be meeting the Second Child, another Evangelion pilot. He silently thanked whatever powers above for becoming friends with the Third Child. Of course, seeing Captain Katsuragi was a bonus on the side. He couldn't wait.

For Touji, all that mattered was seeing Captain Katsuragi. Sure he was excited about meeting the Second Child, but he admitted to himself that observing Captain Katsuragi's amazing legs was much, much better. He wasn't a military fanatic like Kensuke, but he knew that meeting an Evangelion pilot in person was an honor. After all, these were the people who were keeping them alive.

A soft, nearly inaudible sigh escaped Shinji. Life was good.

* * *

A young girl stood on the deck, her fiery mane fluttering in the wind. Her ice blue eyes were filled with curiosity and wonderment; she had never been to Japan before. She could see the signs of land in the horizon. That must be where she would be meeting the other pilots and her commanding officer.

"Hey there Asuka!"

She whirled around, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Kaji!"

She flung herself at him, embracing him around the neck. He smiled as he spun her, but promptly put her down. "Are you excited?"

"Of course I am!" she replied enthusiastically. "I get to meet the other pilots and prove to them that I _am_ the best!"

He chuckled. "Of course you are. You wouldn't be Asuka if you weren't."

Asuka laughed confidently. "Asuka Langley Sohryu _will_ prove to both the First and Third Child that she _is_ the best!"

_Ah, innocence, _thought Kaji fondly. _Did I ever have that?_

Several hours later, the military naval carrier _Over the Rainbow_ welcomed the VTOL aircraft carrier that brought several people from NERV-Japan. Asuka watched with mild surprise as Captain Misato Katsuragi walked off of the plane, as well as a brown haired boy, a tall lanky boy and a blond, geeky looking boy.

"Ah, hello Asuka!" Misato greeted cheerily.

"Hello Misato!" Asuka replied warmly.

The group made their way to the bridge after a short introduction and two slaps to Touji's face. Misato smiled, albeit a bit strained as she tried to appease the captain of the Pacific Fleet.

"Ah, I thought you were these kids' Boy Scout leader, but I guess I was mistaken," the Captain sneered disdainfully.

"Thank you for understanding, Captain," Misato said with a smile, ignoring the disdain in his voice.

"Ah, no, no. Thank _you_ for bringing me even more children to take care of after so long a time," the Captain replied, ire clearly evident.

**_Asshole,_ Loki muttered darkly.** Shinji looked away, hoping that the others wouldn't see his shifting eyes.

"We appreciate your assistance with the marine transport of Eva Two. Here are the specifications for the emergency power socket," Misato stated firmly.

"Ha! I'd never accept a request to run that doll on the sea in the first place!" he exclaimed.

Misato tried a different approach. "Just think of it as a fall back in case of emergency."

"It's against such emergencies that the Pacific fleet is supposed to guard! When did the U.N. turn us into bloody cargo haulers?" the Captain muttered.

"I believe it was just after a certain organization was established."

"Guarding a toy! What a grand assignment for the entire Pacific fleet!" grumbled the Captain.

"Considering Eva's importance, it still seems lacking. Well, please sign these forms," Misato answered.

"Not yet. At the request of the 3rd Branch in Germany, both Eva Two and its pilot are under the command of this fleet. I won't allow you to just do as you please!"

"Then when will you relinquish command?" asked Misato.

"After unloading the cargo at Shin-Yokosuka," answered the First Officer.

"We're in charge of anything on the sea. Follow orders without question," the Captain snapped.

"Yes, I understand. In an emergency, however, please don't forget that Nerv's authority supercedes yours," Misato reminded him sweetly.

Suddenly, Asuka's attention was diverted as she noticed a very familiar man walking into the bridge.

"Kaji-sempai!"

_No...it can't be!_

Misato turned to find none other than Ryouji Kaji stepping into the bridge room.

_Damn._

* * *

"It's...red," Shinji murmured lamely.

Blue stared into blue for a fleeting moment as Asuka turned to face Shinji. "This is _my_ Unit 02. It's the production model, unlike Unit 00 or 01. This is the template that every other Evangelion will be based on! This is the first model build for combat purposes."

Their banter was short lived as explosions rocked the carrier. The pair rushed out to see an explosion engulf the various ships of the Pacific Fleet. Asuka smirked. "This is my chance!"

Rushing back to a secluded place, Asuka began her campaign.

Shinji sat and stood helpless as he became a involved party of this new campaign of the Second Child.

* * *

Asuka couldn't help but silently scorn the Third Child. He was nothing but a boring little boy, he even _looked_ dull and boring! Plain clothes, plain features, plain personality. But to be chosen as the Third Child, he must have something that was not plain like the rest of him.

And his friends! God what perverted freaks they were! One was a jock that had _dropped_ his pants and the other was a video-camera toting geek! What kind of friends were these? The least he could have done was chosen some decent friends. _Well, at least he hadn't looked too,_ thought Asuka with a mental snort.

She grabbed the controls of the machine, adrenaline thrumming in her veins. She would prove that she was the best, would always _be_ the best. She would prove her status as the Second Child!

"Argh! Pervert! Don't touch the controls!"

But right now, they were in a bit of a jam. The Angel had trapped them within its mouth; the Angel had been much bigger than they had thought. It was at least two football fields long and very wide. Right now, they had been...in a way, "eaten" by the Angel.

"Hurry up! Or you won't make it!"

**Loki growled. "Won't make it? I doubt it."**

Asuka started. "What the--?! Hey! Don't touch the controls!"

**Whirling around, Loki snapped, "Shut your fucking mouth, amateur! I'm trying to get something done here!"**

Blue met amber-blue as **Loki grabbed the butterfly controls and _forced_ the mouth open. **Asuka trembled as she stuttered, "Wha...what the _hell_ are you?!"

**"I'm the Third Child, Sohryu," Loki answered tersely. "Didn't you know?"**

**He growled darkly as he extended the arm of Unit 02, holding the Prog knife in its large hand. The glowing red...the Core! With a vicious snarl, he let his powers flow into the humanoid machine as it stretched its arm and stabbed the progressive knife straight into the S2 Engine. Gaghiel roared in pain and fury as it tried to crush them using its numerous sharp teeth. "Deploy AT Field, 80% magnitude."**

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!" Asuka screeched. "WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

**"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Loki shouted. "You don't know anything you stupid bitch! Just watch and learn! For fuck's sake, they didn't even _train_ you properly!"**

["Shinji?! What's going on?!"]

[**"I'm forcing it's mouth open, what else?!"**]

["Shinji?"]

[**"Retract the cable! Now!"**]

Unit 02 was jerked up as **Gaghiel** opened its mouth. The battleships rushed in and fired at the cracked S2 Engine, effectively destroying it. A large volcanic eruption of water spurted into the air as Evangelion Production Model Unit 02 landed on the deck...

...and promptly slumped over.

**Loki chuckled. Within the entry plug, he turned to face the so-called Second Child. "You're nothing but a rookie, a green recruit with zero battle experience. You won't last long."**

"Shut the fuck up Third Child!" Asuka spat. "Nobody asked _you_!"

**"If I wasn't here, we'd all have been _dead_," Loki snapped. "Buck up and learn to do this properly or go back to Germany, Second Child. Dead weights like you are a waste."**

"_I'm_ a dead weight?!" she screeched. "This is coming from the boy who _ran_ away after an Angel attack?!"

**He grabbed her wrists and slammed them down roughly on the flat surface of the controls, growling angrily. "You don't know anything! Keep your mouth shut if you don't want to die!"**

She stared into the amber-Prussian eyes, silently terrified at the menace within them. "_Freak_" she hissed.

"Bitch," Shinji muttered.

The two of them left the entry plug.

* * *

The night sky shrouded the room in darkness, but he could not rest. When the battle had been over, the sheer fury running through his veins had scared him. He had never thought that he had been capable of such strong anger and hatred, but it seemed that Fate had proven him wrong once again.

Even now, he could still feel the rage against the Second Child. He had never met someone so arrogant, self-centered and vain in his life! But then again, depending on how one decided to interpret her behaviour, she could be classified as high-spirited, outgoing and determined.

**_Face it Shinji, _said Loki with a mental sneer, _she's a bitch. Don't try to sugarcoat it, she's a bitch. A stupid, brainless bitchy twit._**

He chuckled to himself. **He** was right, there really was no point of trying to sugarcoat the behavior of the one person that he found himself disliking. Hate was too strong of a word, intense dislike would have to do.

For now.

Resigning himself to a more..._interesting_ workplace from now on, Shinji fell asleep...

...dreaming about the Second Child.

* * *

End Act 5

Author's Notes:  
I had to watch Episode 8 in order to do this chapter. I realize that I skipped over 5, 6, and 7 but I'll come back to those in a flashback next chapter. I wanted to introduce Asuka into the story and show the interaction between Shinji/Loki and Asuka. ^^ I originally wanted the two of them to click and go into a sexual relationship, but then I decided against it, it'd be horribly OOC, and they're already OOC as is. :P Ryouji and Misato will get their screen time in the next chapter, where Asuka and Shinji begin their synchronization training.

Comments, criticisms, suggestions and other blah blah blah is welcome. :)

On to Act VI...

e-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com


	7. Act VI Warnings

**Disclaimer: see _Act 0_.**

Enmity sparks between old lovers, and more hidden secrets are uncovered as mystery further surrounds the storm. Asuka and Rei taste soul-deep fear and horror as amber eyes burn with rage...

Longinus

**Act VI - Warnings**

_Revenge is mine, sayeth the Lord. Revenge is mine._

"Nice to meet you! My name is Sohryu Asuka Langley!"

Three boys looked up, two in disbelief while the other sighed in resignation. It was bound to happen, he knew. He hadn't seen any other junior high schools around. Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School was probably the only public school around here. And he had heard that many of the students here had parents who worked at NERV. So it would be completely logical for her to attend here as well.

"Oh God! Now the Red Haired Devil is here too?!" Kensuke wailed.

The red-head frowned. "Oh Mien Gott! I'm going to the same school as you three morons?!!"

All in all, it seemed like it would be a very _long_ school year indeed.

**He snarled. The anger still raged at that _twitty little GIRL_ for nearly killing them both. Who in their right mind would put someone _THAT_ conceited into an Evangelion unit?! Reckless, egotistical and complete lack of conduct! This girl would get killed in a war, no doubt about it. He had seen kids and men alike that acted just like her. They had been the first casualties of war. As much training she had, it was obvious that in a real combat situation, she'd be nearly useless. Even _Ayanami_ was better than her.**

**If he was anywhere but here, he would have ripped her head clean off her shoulders. What a spoiled brat. _Shinji...I hate her. Don't you?_**

_No!_ He thought sharply. _I don't hate her! I don't!_

**_Yes you do. Sure she's got a killer body, but...she's worthless. Useless and full of childish desires. You don't need her. _Loki purred. _Ayanami...she'll do fine. Ayanami's safer. She's passive...but aggressive too...she'll be our perfect toy. Kill that red-headed slut._**

Shinji slammed his eyes shut, feeling that dangerous rush of power through his body. All of **his** powers were manifesting at an alarming rate. 3 years ago, all that could be seen of **his** presence were the eyes, but now, the wings...the power...the eyes...the bloodlust..._everything_ was manifesting itself in his body. He knew now that he could use **his** powers at his own will.

It was an addictive thought, having this kind of power.

He wasn't weak, he was **POWERFUL**.

* * *

She couldn't believe this! First she was pushed into a squalid NERV housing quarter, and _now_ she was in the same school as that geeky nerd, the stupid jock and the freaky Third Child?! How **worse** could her day get?!

_Well, at least the Class Representative is nice enough_, she thought to herself.

As her eyes drifted over to the Third Child, also known as Ikari Shinji, she couldn't help but feel that same shiver of fear race down her spine. That low growl of menace and authority had haunted her dreams last night, of what could have happened had he not left when he did. She could have been dead...or raped, or even both.

_And nobody would have been there to stop it,_ she thought, _not even Misato or Kaji._

That scared her. To know that someone like _him_ could have ripped her apart with his bare hands. The boy was lanky, a bit thin and looked **boring**. But behind those blue eyes and meek face lay a destructive force unlike any other.

But it didn't matter. She was the Second Child, and she would show that stupid Third Child that _no-one_ upstaged her.

Ever.

* * *

He watched them from the distance, feeling nervous. The last time hadn't been the best experience; monitoring the Third Child was very dangerous. At the present moment it was safe enough, he was in school. But...when he had been alone on those streets...

...those poor boys hadn't had a chance in Hell to win.

When he had received the preliminary report on the Third Child, he would never have suspected the boy to be so violent. And sadistic as well. Without second thought, the Third Child had broken the boy's arm and snapped his neck.

"It must run in the family," he muttered.

The sound of the bell ringing snapped him out of his thoughts, and he returned to his vigilant watch of the Third Child.

Strangely, he _still_ felt that gut feeling...that something would go wrong.

* * *

_He smiled as he walked into the dim room, the briefcase held in his hands. He knew that what was stored in here...it was a dangerous thing. It could make or break his plans, or SEELE's plans._

_But right now wasn't the proper time to think of such things. He was just a delivery man, delivering the package to the customer._

_"It's still in its embryonic form."_

_"Excellent job, Agent Kaji."_

He smiled to himself, but not full of his normal cheer. The smile was full of melancholy and bitterness, the past long gone reminding him of the choices he had made, and of the morals that he had compromised. His quest...his quest would never be complete until he could find the truth.

The truth to what...?

He didn't know.

All he knew was that he was starved for it, craved for it like nothing else...

...save one person.

Misato.

He could still remember the day he had met her with crystal clarity. Her black-violet hair, the soulful brown eyes...and the soul that lay within those eyes. Sure, her physical body had drawn him to her, but it was her wounded heart that he loved, the fragile woman that lay behind the mask of the playful girl.

He had loved her then, and he still loved her now.

Could he still right what was wrong?

Did he have time?

* * *

Misato sat in her office, a scowl marring her beautiful visage. How had _he_ entered her life again?! After their break-up, she had never expected to see him again.

But her heart ached at the sight of him, his roguish features and handsome face reminding her of their time together. The good, the bad, and the beautiful times they had shared.

She knew that despite his "lady-killer" exterior, he was the type of man who would settle for life if he found the perfect woman. And she had that chance, to be with him forever. But she knew that she had not been ready then, and she didn't know if she was ready now. Nothing was left for them now, just feelings of what had been and dreams of what could be.

Her heart loved him now, and she knew that she would always love him. Ryouji Kaji, playboy extraordinare. But he was the Ryouji Kaji that she loved, no matter who he was being.

Even if she wanted to try again, too much history was between them. It wouldn't work, she was different. And...she wouldn't risk her heart like that again, not to him. Her pride would never let her do that again. It was a pain she could live without.

If it meant that she had to live without Kaji...then that was fine.

But she knew...she would never love another like Kaji ever again.

Katsuragi Misato smiled bitterly as she raised her coffee cup, toasting a life that she could never live.

* * *

"Well Third Child?"

Shinji looked up. "Well what?"

"Where is the First Child?" she asked impatiently.

He pointed to where Rei sat and watched as the red-headed girl strode over to the First Child, only to be rebuffed. Asuka trotted back towards him, a scowl on her face. "What a _freak_."

He frowned. "Don't call Rei a freak."

She smirked at him viciously. "Awww...does the widdle Third Child have a crwush on the First?"

"Shut up," he hissed.

"Am I making you mad, Third Child?" she taunted.

Shinji slammed his eyes shut, feeling the power building within him. The rage...it burned like a blazing inferno. It burned true and hot like the flames of Hell...waiting for him to unleash it. His hand clenched and unclenched unconsciously; Shinji didn't want to hurt her, he really didn't but at this rate...

"You're so boring Third Child," Asuka sighed melodramatically. "Such a boring little _boy_."

Desperately trying to gain control over himself, he muttered under his breath, "And you're nothing but a prissy little twit."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" she screeched. Apparently, her hearing was better than he thought.

**He snapped. "I said, _you're nothing but a prissy little TWIT!!!_"**

She shivered. It was that voice again. "Fuck you Third Child!"

**Loki leered. "I'm game if you are."**

**Laughing at the radical blush on her face, he spun on his heel and walked towards the blue haired Rei. He could feel her following him, but suddenly, he was stopped.**

"Where'd you think you're going, punk?"

He looked to find the boys he had met before. **He smirked. "Pardon?"**

* * *

**Loki laughed. It was so easy to play around with these Lillims. He was a _god_, he had power at his disposal. He could feel the eyes of the Second and the First boring into him. These children...they wanted to play with fire, he'd show them fire.**

Shinji opened his eyes, the **amber **light dancing and sparking menacingly. "What do you **want?**"

**The boys trembled before him, and he knew it. Loki loved to use Shinji's body, it was deceptive. Underneath the seemingly thin, lanky frame was muscle and power like nothing else. It wasn't just his own power, it was _Shinji's_ own power.** Shinji smiled to himself, a smile full of shady intentions. "I'm t-talking to Ayanami."

"Listen punk, you _killed_ Kei. And we don't forget that kind of shit," the boy snarled.

"**What's your point?" he asked. "You attacked me. It's your own fault for attacking me."**

"FUCK YOU!" the boy shouted.

The boy lunged at him, but he easily sidestepped it.

**_Show those stupid Lillim that you won't be defeated by the likes of them, Shinji_, Loki smirked.**

Shinji ducked under a wide punch and stepped into the boy's circle of defense. With a small, effortless push, the boy toppled backwards. He moved at an inhuman speed, his foot sweeping the boy's legs out from underneath him, only to have that same leg fold and smash squarely into the falling boy's back. The boy's body was brought rudely upwards, and then smashed back down into the ground with an elbow into his stomach.

The body richocheted cruelly from the cement, and the boy's gasping breath was ignored as Shinji propelled himself forward, a **cold sneer **adorning his youthful face. His eyes alternated from blue to **amber**, sparking and blinking like a lightbulb on the verge of burning out.

**_Stop toying with them, Shinji, _Loki purred coldly, the sound resembled a cold snake in his mind. _They're worthless. They don't deserve to live. Weak, spineless children like them should be dead._**

_No...I won't kill them,_ Shinji stated firmly.

**_Oh Yes...you will..._**

He tried to ignore **his** voice as he twisted around to face the back of one of the boys, and executed a debilitating double-handed chop to both sides of the boy's collarbone, putting enough force to fracture it. The _crack_ of the bone fracturing under the impact echoed through the school's grounds as the other children watched with horror and revulsion etched into their faces.

"Stop this Ikari," a soft, feminine voice interrupted.

**Loki whirled around to face the intruder, none other than Ayanami herself. He grinned nastily, contorting his vessel's face to something that resembled the face of Satan himself. "Why?"**

"You will be suspended," she answered, her voice even and monotonous.

Shinji looked around to find his schoolmates gaping at him, shock and fear in their eyes. He cringed. But something...or some**one** wasn't satisfied. As if turning on a light, **amber light came to life in **his **blue eyes and the game began once more. He spun on his heel and dropped low to the ground, planted his hands and pushed his body upwards so that it was perfectly perpendicular to the ground.**

**Without warning, he launched himself into the air, performed a flawless backflip and finished off with a powerful roundhouse kick to the boy's torso, sending him flying backwards. The last boy had already run off in fear. He laughed. It was so easy!**

"What the _hell_ is going on?!" a new voice demanded.

They all turned around to find the Second Child, Asuka and the school's principal standing there, eyes wide with shock and a bit of fear. Asuka looked at her fellow pilots, the First and the Third Children. Shinji was standing near the other fallen boy, his eyes and face betraying nothing. A similar expression was on Rei's face, and she idly wondered whether they were related.

"Ikari Shinji, come with me," the principal stated firmly.

"Yes sir," Shinji murmured meekly.

* * *

Misato sat on the opposite side of the table, staring intently at the young boy in front of her. The school had sent him home; suspension for three days for fighting. She would read the Section 2 report later to find out what exactly triggered the fight.

"I'm disappointed in you, Shinji," said Misato. "Starting a fight in the first week of school?"

"It wasn't my fault," he answered in a low tone. "They jumped me. I had to defend myself."

"That doesn't excuse the amount of force you used," Misato said angrily. "You could have broken his ribs!"

**"That's a load of crap," Loki spat angrily**. **"That's fucking bullshit and you know it. I was _toying_ with them, I wouldn't kill them in front of all those witnesses. Do you take me for a fool?!"**

Startled by the sudden change of tone in her young charge, she pushed her chair back, as if to put more distance between them. "The school nurse said that the boy's ribs were cracked."

**"Cracked is not broken, woman. There's a difference. When I want to play, I play. When I want to kill..."**

**Loki smirked as he planted his hands on the table and leaned forward, his lips just barely brushing hers. "Elegance is key."**

Frightened and shaken, Misato shoved him back, hard; Shinji was thrown bodily against the chair from the unexpected push and fell backwards. The boy's blue eyes were staring at her with something akin to apology and defiance. He silently stood up and whispered, "I'm sorry Misato-san. That was...uncalled for."

With that, he quickly fled to the safety of his room, leaving his guardian and commanding officer in a state of mixed emotions.

* * *

Asuka lay awake in her temporary quarter that night, scowling to herself. Not only was she attending the same _school_ as that idiotic Third Child, the First Child was a complete nut-case! The girl didn't say a word! And when she did...it was always in that _cultured_ monotone of hers. She was fucking _creepy_.

But that wasn't what was making her think...it was that amber-tinged glare of the Third Child. Those demonic eyes that sparked and danced with rage, anger and sheer, _unbridled **power**_. Nobody should have been able to move like that, at least not someone their age. He was an enigma, a **dangerous** enigma.

She didn't understand why a psychopath like _him_ was allowed to battle! He could **kill** everyone if he really wanted to. The guy was completely loopy! His eyes were messed up and he had nearly _killed_ someone. According to one idiot, he already **has** killed someone. This Third Child wasn't as weak as she thought.

No, he wasn't weak at all. Just a complete psychopath!

He was a fucking menace to everyone health.

Snorting derisively, she turned onto her side and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would claim her quickly, and without any nightmares.

His amber gaze haunted her all night.

* * *

He sighed heavily. He had lost control of himself today. **He** had smashed **his** way to the forefront of his consciousness to viciously beat the _living daylights_ out of those boys. He had wondered why the faces looked so familiar.

_I don't want to kill people. I can't kill them. Then I'll become like...like **Father**. I don't want to ever become like father. Ever._

**_Shinji, you ARE stronger than him. You regret death, that is why you will never be like him. The stronger will prevail. You are strong. The weaker will die. They were weak, _Loki whispered. _They deserve to die because they're weak._**

_No! That's not true!_

**_It is true Shinji._**

"It isn't true, it can't be!" he whispered to himself.

**_Face it. The strong survive, the weak die. That's why you're strong Shinji. You're going to survive, you're going to outlast all those cowardly little bastards._**

"No..."

**_Yes,_ Loki murmured seductively. _So you will do as I say...won't you?_**

The battle of wills -- Shinji's desperation against **his** selfish wants and bloodthirst -- raged within him, but Shinji knew he would lose. He didn't want to kill her...but he did want to hurt her. He couldn't resist **his** charm, his unfathomable power could _make_ him bend to **his** will. But **his** power was also his own power. Couldn't he make **him** bend to his will?

**_But will you, Shinji? Will you make me bend to your will? Can you? You know I bend knee to no-one. Will you FORCE me to bend my knee?_**

Shinji flinched.

**_Oh, but don't worry. We'll have our fun with her. But when we're done with her...we'll throw her away and find a new plaything._**

Within the recesses of his mind and soul, he heard the jovial, cruel laughter of Loki as he closed his eyes and desperately tried to block out the temptation, to push the dark presence of Loki to the back.

The blood smeared on the walls...glassy eyes...burnt, charred hair...hollow, dying screams...they all taunted him, seduced him to succumb. Misato, father, Asuka, Rei...**Touji**, Kensuke...all of their blank faces called to him, teased him and laughed.

His rage boiled and frothed underneath the surface, waiting to be released. His body trembled and his hand clenched, itching to break the dam that held back his rage. But no, he couldn't. He would never hurt anyone intentionally.

_Please...stop..._

* * *

**He stood triumphantly over his fallen victim, the two-pronged lance dripping with the crimson red of his challenger. These _pitiful_..._things_ dared to fight him?**

**Tossing his hair over his shoulder, he strode away from the battlefield to mount his might steed, droplets of blood leaving a telltale trail of his path behind him. His amber eyes scanned the grounds, satisfied at the sight of the dismembered bodies and the blood that marred the once green fields.**

**"Loki."**

**He turned the steed around to find his trusted general, Hymir. He smirked as he shook the sea giant's hand. "Well met, Hymir."**

**"Well met indeed, Loki," Hymir rumbled. "Quite a long way you've come. What brings you to my doorstep?"**

**Hymir was a tall man, nearly 8 feet at his full height and broad at the shoulders. There were not many men that were as large as Hymir; with his imposing build, piercing indigo blue eyes, pale ocean blue skin and a large trident in his hand, not many dared to anger the sea giant.**

**"I come here to bring news," Loki murmured.**

**The blue-skinned man lowered his head. "I entreat you, if it is about..."**

**"Indeed," Loki answered. "I bring news."**

**The sea giant smirked. "Then do be haste, I mean you no offense, Loki."**

**"Of course not," Loki nodded. "I have asked the Surt to join us. He has accepted."**

**"The Surt? He agreed?"**

**"Yes. It took some manipulation, but he agreed. We have one more in our midst," said Loki.**

**"That is most excellent! Not many can match the strength of the Surts," Hymir exulted happily.**

**Not even Hymir or Surt dared to anger Loki. The man was not as large as they, but his power was far beyond what many of them could reach. Some giants whispered that even Odin would fall to Loki's power and that damned lance of his; the crimson red lance that never left the smaller man's side.**

**Tall, broad-shouldered and chiseled features, Hymir knew that with their strength, Gotterdammerung would be coming soon. Very soon.**

**And he would finally exact his revenge against those damned Aesir. "We will have our revenge."**

**"Sayeth I, _revenge is not without its price,_" Loki warned. "The Aesir are not to be taken lightly. My ancestry is of the Aesir and they will rise to the full strength if we are not careful."**

**Hymir nodded. "So what shall be done?"**

**Loki smiled darkly. "First, we kill Balder. That idiotic walking smile. Then things will go from there."**

**Nodding, Hymir returned to the sea while Loki rode off, laughing as he raced across the bloody plain and back to his home.**

* * *

_He stood on the barrne plain, standing across from his soul, his life-force, Loki. He couldn't help but be terrified of those abnormal amber eyes; his frame radiated power and violence, promising death to all those who dared to oppose him._

_"It has been a long time, Shinji," he said casually._

_"Indeed, Loki," he answered._

_Loki chuckled. "Walk with me."_

_Falling into step next to the man, he let his eyes wander across the bloody landscape, the manifestation of his thoughts and soul. The rain fell steadily upon them, despite the glaring sun that shone overhead. Strange. There were no bodies._

_"That is because we are alone," replied Loki. "Well...**you** are alone, or so you think."_

_"I am alone," Shinji said softly. "And I always will be."_

_The taller man smirked. "Some things will never change. But...I'm here to talk about something else."_

_"Such as?"_

_Amber met blue and for a split second, Shinji felt as if he was falling into a pit of terror and abyss, the amber eyes of Loki projecting the years of meaningless existence. "The Fates have something stored for you. For all of those surrounding you. Through your Evangelions, they want to take the next step."_

_"Next step?"_

_"Yes. The next step in the evolution of your species," replied Loki. "But that is what is revealed to you. But I am telling you now, and you **must** heed my warning."_

_Shinji gaped at him, a mixture of apprehension and naked terror racing each other across his face. "This is not evolution, Shinji. This is your judgement. This is your Armageddon."_

_"Armageddon..." Shinji whispered. "The end of the world?"_

* * *

In the morning, Shinji sat up and shuffled to the kitchen, making sure that he would not encounter Misato or Asuka. His "dream" had left him awake since 3 AM and nothing had helped him fall alseep again. Not even his SDAT.

"Baka! Where the hell is my breakfast?!"

* * *

Emerald eyes narrowed with anger. "Damn that meddling Loki!"

Her sisters nodded. "Agreed. We must eliminate him, and quickly."

"We cannot kill Ikari!" they chanted. "Loki must die. This we agree."

They nodded as they continued to watch the scene unfold before them. The red-headed girl continued to rant and rave and the first of the Fates decided that the girl would have face her punishment in due time.

"So we are agreed. Loki will live..._only_ because Ikari would be destroyed without him."

"Agreed," they intoned.

"What of the Enigma?" the second asked.

"The Enigma will not be harmed," the first answered, "**until** we find out more."

"So it is written, so it shall be."

* * *

Within the swirling vortex, a disembodied voice spoke. "**I am Israfael. I shall have my revenge.**"

* * *

End Act 6

Revision - I heard the dissatisfaction of various readers; thank you for pointing things out. I wasn't very happy with this chapter either, so I went back and did some minor revisions. Major plot change comes in the next chapter. But still...I'm actually pretty pissed off about this chapter, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But yeah. *shrug* 

Author's Notes: Yeah, it's been awhile, hasn't it. Mind you, sometime down the road, this will be revamped in order to suit my..._darker_ tastes. ^^ But until then, you get this. Anyways, feedback and other blah blah blah is welcomed.


End file.
